In response to a request for a hearing submitted on August 9 and a petition submitted on September 12 by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network and signed on to by 52 environmental, civic, community and faith organizations, the Delaware River Basin Commission Wednesday officially rejected the request that it exercise its existing authority over pipelines.

There are 13 new pipeline projects (including expansions) proposed for portions of the Delaware River watershed.  There is no state or federal agency that is considering the cumulative impact of all of these new projects.  The DRBC is the one agency that has the jurisdiction and mission that would support a cumulative impacts assessment and ensure compliance with special protection water regulations of the agency.

“DRBC’s decision not to review pipeline projects is pure cowardice; the agency is more interested in protecting contributions to its budget from the states than carrying forth the mission for which it was created, which is to protect the water resources of the Delaware River Basin for us all, not the gas drillers and pipeline companies,” said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper. 

“Pipelines are a known and growing source of air pollution that is contributing to climate change, to water pollution from polluted runoff, and to the devastation of wetlands, streams, and healthy forests critical for flood and species protection,” said van Rossum.  “They are also responsible for the increased taking of private and public lands through the exercise and/or threat of their eminent domain authority.  They are the big bully partners of the gas drillers and it is sad to see the DRBC duck their responsibilities.”

According to a map created to be  handed out by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network at the meeting, new pipelines and expansions are proposed to cut through the counties of:

-- Berks, Chester, Delaware, Lebanon, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Schuylkill, and Wayne, Counties in Pennsylvania;

-- Gloucester, Hunterdon and Sussex Counties in New Jersey;

-- New Castle and Kent Counties in Delaware; and

-- Broome, Delaware, Orange and Sullivan Counties in New York.

12/10/2012